A retired New York City detective once told me that a murder case can be considered cold after three days. In his experience, if he hadn’t developed a viable lead within 72 hours—a lead that could be run down to a potential suspect—he knew the case would either take a long time to solve or would often go unsolved altogether.
That surprised me. I was always under the impression it took at least a decade or so before a case could be officially committed to the cold storage. It made me wonder if his perception differed from other detectives across the country. A homicide detective at the NYPD, who’s accustomed to dealing with a heavy case load, must have a different approach than a detective from, say, the Louisiana bayou, who handles maybe a dozen murders a year—right?
To my surprise, I’ve discovered that the answer is no. Most agencies focus their manpower on the cases with the freshest leads and a high solvability potential. Barring significant media attention, cases without fresh or solid leads are temporarily put on the back burner. Although statutes of limitation force a detective’s hand in closing out rape cases, molestation cases and other felonies after a certain number of years, this it isn’t so with homicide. Some homicides only remain cold until that viable lead comes through. But there’s a tragic number that go cold, stay cold, and leave a wake of victims in their path—and a trail of killers who walk free.
Old Case, New Lead?
I ran a cold case unit at America’s Most Wanted for seven years, elbow to elbow with some of the best investigative minds in the country. It was, at times, the loneliest job I’ve ever had. I spent days holed up in my office reading transcripts, sifting through thousands of pages of police documents and listening to taped interviews for hours at a time. By the end of a few weeks, my neck was so stiff I could hardly move my head. But with cold cases, something overtakes you and won’t let you go. Not until I had stumbled onto something that smelled new to me—a lealead that had been overlooked and one that I hoped could result in cold, hard handcuffs clinking on a pair of guilty wrists—only then would I stop. The fact is, there’s nothing more exhilarating than reopening a cold case, getting a fresh perspective and catching that break that ends up with a killer behind bars.
But as many police investigators know, despite our efforts, some cases are impossible to solve. Reactivating old leads, finding new ones and breathing life into a cold case can be painstakingly frustrating. Often, the result of our work is just another decade in cold storage. The colder a case gets, the harder it gets to solve: potential suspects move away, pass away, some even get killed; evidence is misplaced, misused or lost completely; and eyewitnesses, once cooperative, become reluctant.
On the flip side, time might be on your side. New technologies can decipher old forensic evidence or an unknown witness can suddenly come forward. Perhaps the killer, convinced he’s gotten away with murder, brags to a stranger on a bar stool. Maybe a jilted girlfriend decides to get even and drop a dime. The NYPD detective I used to work with told me, “You just never know when you might catch that break.” Sometimes it takes a leap of faith to find that bit of evidence, but if it does fall into place, watch out. A breakthrough on a cold case can literally take your breath away.
Breathing New Life
When I approached the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office (TPSO) in 2000 to see how they felt about us reopening one of their cold cases and bringing in a retired NYPD detective as our “on-air” investigator, to their credit, they never hesitated. The response: “Come on down, ya’ll. Sounds like fun.” Thus, the unlikely partnership of Brooklyn-born Det. Ron Antoci of NYPD, Bayou-born Det. David LeBoeuf of the TPSO and a television producer was formed.
My team spent months in Houma, La., reworking the old leads with LeBoeuf, interviewing friends, family members and gossip queens. We combed through the little black books of the victim, Ray Guidry, a self-proclaimed Hugh Hefner of Louisiana and helped identify some of the hundreds of women he had photographed at his infamous pool parties. Guidry was an equal opportunity womanizer, and almost every woman in the bayou had found her way into his little black book. As we dug deeper, we learned Guidry’s flagrant behavior and his reputation as a ruthless businessman made his murder extremely hard to solve. It seemed almost everyone in Houma had a motive, and none seemed too sorry Guidry had died with a knife wound near his heart.
By the end of a year, we’d managed to knock holes in the persistent rumors that had stubbornly swirled for 16 years around this case. It took three airings on AMW and our own independent investigation, but we helped identify a potential person of interest who’d not been on LaBoeuf’s radar before.
I asked David LeBoeuf, now a captain at the TPSO, what compelled him to allow us into the case. ”It was worth the risk,” he said. “If we could close a 16-year-old unsolved murder, why not try? I mean our department spent a lot of years and a lot of money on this case. Now, maybe we’re a little bit closer to finding the truth, and I think that made it worthwhile.”
It’s like everything else in life: without risk, there’s no gain. The media, for all their flaws and single-mindedness, can be useful to law enforcement. Face it: You need the public to help you solve your case, and the quickest way to finding those reluctant witnesses and potential leads is often through the media.
The Best Approach
The key to approaching and working with the media—whether on cold cases, or breaking crime stories—is having the right attitude. Reporters and producers aren’t your friends, but they aren’t your enemies either. It’s a business relationship.
Don’t share the juiciest piece of the case and then tell them they can’t use it. Don’t try controlling your statements as either on or off the record. It gets confusing. Here’s my simple rule: Everything you say to the press is on the record. Otherwise, don’t say it. Most importantly, don’t ever lie to the press. If you don’t know the answer to their question, say you’ll do some research and get back to them. If you know something but can’t divulge the answer, just tell them that. Use the phrase “to keep the integrity of the case.” The reason you don’t want to fudge anything is because of the integrity of the case. The bottom line: If you’re straight with the media, they’ll respect you more, and it can become a mutually beneficial experience.
Now that you understand it’s a business relationship, don’t take it personally if you pitch a cold case and the person you first talk to isn’t interested. Not everyone is going to be interested. Maybe the busy assignment editor doesn’t have the time required to understand the case. Try someone else.
You need to target the right source to have any success. I recommend you get the name of a reporter, preferably a crime reporter or even a producer, and do some research. What have they written? Is it thoughtful, thorough and balanced? Or is it splashy, spotty and one-sided?
Use your department’s resources to find out who’s had good experiences with a reporter. Who’s had a bad experience? Reaching out to a reporter who’s already worked with your colleague is like going out on a second date: The awkward first kiss is already out of the way. The reporter already knows how your department works and will know immediately if what you’re offering is a story they can sell to their editor. My advice is never pitch only one case. Have a few in reserve. If you still get shut out, ask them what kind of stories they are looking for.
Find That Niche & Pitch
Pitching is an art form, and sometimes it helps to anticipate what the press might be looking for well in advance. With TV they look for visual elements: photos, reports, evidence, surveillance video (even if it’s poor quality), but they also like action: the ride-along, a stakeout, or better yet, an interesting interview they can label “exclusive.”
With print, they’re much more into the detail of the story. They use sidebar stories to explain complicated scenarios, like familial DNA, the basics of a Ponzi scheme or even a flow chart to explain the inner workings of an organized crime family.
Not every member of the media understands investigative work, so sometimes a little explanation goes a long way. What may not be exciting to you can be hugely important to them.
I remember when one of our producers at AMW discovered that Andrew Cunanan, a fugitive serial killer, had pawned gold coins from his Chicago murder victim at a Miami pawn shop. We were allowed to videotape the pawn receipt bearing Cunanan’s real name and signature. It also bore the address and room number of the Miami hotel where Cunanan had been staying. That gave us huge credibility with our audience. We got a lot of mileage out of it, and mileage translates into ratings. So, you may not realize that some dog-eared gas receipt, a handwritten diary, a faded parking ticket, a geographic profile or an inventory of everything found in your victim’s car can be a gold mine that a journalist can really put to use. It could result in triggering the memory of a previously unknown witness.
Before you’re about to pitch, I want you to take a hard look at your case. What are the interesting twists to the crime or the investigation? Who are the interesting characters? Who might give a media interview? What evidence or leads could you release? Is there a reason why you’re reigniting the case? Is there something specific the press can help you with? Figure out what you have and what you can share without jeopardizing the case, and then dole it out—sparingly. You may want to give an exclusive to one station or newspaper or perhaps hold a press conference. Competition between news outlets is sometimes a good thing. But you’ll have to decide if it’s a good thing for your particular case.
Final Considerations
Although the benefits to engaging the media in your cold case are obvious and any new lead could be a potential breakthrough, there are some pitfalls you also need to be aware of. Once the story’s in the hands of the press, you can’t control what they report. Sort of.
If a reporter’s doing his job, he’ll need you to validate or corroborate what he digs up or comment on what a competitor is reporting. You’re the expert on the case. That’s your role. If you maintain that role, the press will always come back to you. From that vantage point, you can find ways to accommodate the reporter and still keep the integrity of your case.
Personally, I think working with the media is worth the risk. The more a reporter gets invested in your story, the longer he’ll stay with it. While I was at AMW, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to assist police solve four cold case homicides. All those long, lonely hours of hard work paid off. My greatest joy was to hear those three sweet words: “We got him.” But it was also the proudest moment of my life knowing that I had truly made a difference in someone else’s.
Lastly, I encourage you to think outside the box. This is what investigators do every day. There are alternative means to getting your case in front of the public. You can write a letter to the editor or showcase a cold case every month on your department’s website. The latest craze is privately produced Web videos that bypass the media altogether, but often come with high consulting fees. Or take advantage of Law Officer’s social media site, LawOfficerConnect.com. There I’ll feature a monthly blog that looks at a cold case in hopes of eliciting feedback and assistance from the Law Officer community. Hopefully, we can bring new light to old cold cases.
Reporters & producers aren’t your friends, but they aren’t your enemies either. It’s a business relationship.
How Not to Handle the Media
• Don’t share a juicy detail and then say that it can’t be used.
• Don’t try to control the conversation by saying some of what you say is on the record and some isn’t. Remember: Everything is on the record. Otherwise, don’t say it.
• Don’t lie to the media or the public.
• If there’s a question you can’t answer, do some research or find someone who can answer it.
• If there’s something that you can’t divulge because it will compromise the integrity of the case, say so. But don’t use this as an excuse to be lazy.